Khaberni - A long artistic career that spanned over 40 years, presented by the Egyptian director Sherif Arafa, making him one of the most important cinema directors in Egypt, and his works have become bright landmarks in cinema history.
This journey, full of behind-the-scenes and secrets, was partly discussed by Sherif Arafa in a dialogue session held with him at El Gouna Film Festival, moderated by Egyptian artist Abbas Abul Hassan, where he revealed many situations, both ordinary and surprising, such as him throwing an actor into the flames.
During his speech, the Egyptian director emphasized that the essence of his profession is not in the issue contained in the artwork but focuses on transforming the written into a high-value visual product.
Sherif Arafa also discussed the story of adaptation and scene transitioning, admitting that as a director he had only stolen one scene in his life, later confessing that by stealing he meant capturing the scene’s essence, which occurred in the movie "The Terror and the Kebab" in a scene involving Adel Imam and Magda Zaki.
The director of the film "The Headmaster" revealed the behind-the-scenes of the work, and his desire for the actress Naeema El Sagheer to play the role of the mother, but he was surprised by her retirement from acting, which led him to assign the role to Alaa Waley El Din, as well as the father’s role, because he could not find another actor suitable for the role.
Sherif Arafa offered his advice to directors, stressing that the audience primarily connects with the characters, and do not leave discussions about angles or directing techniques.
Sherif Arafa revealed a surprise during his talk about the movie "Laugh and the Picture Will Come Out Fine," when he confirmed that everyone in the art scene knows that Ahmad Zaki was not a great father in reality; he did not usually take his son to school or do similar tasks.
However, when you watch the film and see the scene of him taking his daughter to medical school, and the pride he conveys to the viewers, you realize you are seeing a great father in this work.
Sherif Arafa compared Ahmad Zaki with Sanaa Gamil, affirming that Zaki was a talented artist but did not possess a unique acting technique, as he could deliver the required performance perfectly on the first take of shooting, but would not be able to replicate it again on a retake.
On the other hand, Sanaa Gamil, who possesses a unique acting technique, recalled a scene which required her to cry in the movie, causing a technical issue to repeat the scene 13 times, and in each retake, she cried as if it was the first time, demonstrating her unique acting technique.
The director of the film "Playing with the Big Boys" spoke about his friendship with the late writer Wahid Hamed, and how for 5 years he borrowed money from him to manage his living.
Sherif Arafa confirmed that from 1988 to 1993 he borrowed money from Wahid Hamed, who never asked him about the reason, but afterwards, he managed to repay that money.
He also talked about some of the crazy things that happened to him in directing, confirming that in one of the scenes he wanted one of the actors to fall into the flames, but he knew that the actor would not risk it at all, and would not throw himself into the fire.
Therefore, Sherif Arafa decided to push the actor himself into the flames to achieve the desired scene, and he almost sacrificed himself along with the cinematographer in the movie "Cousins," when the duo was filming a scene of a car crash, knowing that the car would rebound towards them.
But Sherif Arafa continued to hold the camera and film the scene, and when the car approached, he turned to the cinematographer only to find that he had already left his spot quickly to save his own life, leaving him alone.
